André Fodor
It was 12:15, August 4, 1965. I was born Andre Fodor, son of Rosa and George. The first was a music teacher, Italian-Brazilian family, emotionally driven, lover of the esoteric; woman of a hundred religions. The second, George, was an economist , Hungarian born, an escapee to America due to political and anti-Semitic repression in Hungary . Arriving in Brazil , he reunited with his family who also escaped from the motherland. I guess I can say I was born in a golden crib. My dad was a executive with a large international bank, a lover of fine music, culture, opera and CUISINE! He was driven by logic and hard facts but with an openness to life that never allowed his edges to become hard. My mother was all emotion. The sculptor of my soft, tender, side. She was the one who allowed-created-the freedom for me to roam the world of experimentation. Their marriage did not last long. There were too many differences. I was soon the child of divorced parents; weekends at dad's and weekdays with mom. Two specific traits were noticeable in me in my youth: First, I was enthusiastic about aviation and electronics. I became an avid amateur radio operator and built many airplane models. I nearly drove my mother crazy with fear that I would fall from the rooftop while I installed yet another antenna for my radio set. I am sure I was a menace. At one point my mother simply removed my brother from the room I shared with him out of fear he would be eletrocuted. On the other hand, I simply adored the chemistry of cooking. Putting together different ingredients and creating exotic dishes out of them was simply fascinating. My father helped improve these basic skills. He took me to fine restaurants, coaxed me to try different dishes and explained the basics of winery, classical music and opera. I also had other good teachers. Our maids took special pleasure in teaching me the art of cooking. Cida, my mother's maid, taught me the basics of Brazilian cooking: rice, beans and collared greens. Jurassi, my dad's maid, taught me the classics. Under George's watchful eyes she would prepare sophisticated dishes with delicious sauces and creams accompanied with delicious soufflés and soups. Eating at dad's was always a sensorial adventure for this chubby kid. I don't have much to say about my school years. I was a weak student and school just couldn't grab my attention. At the age of 18 I left Brazil and went to the United States looking for something to do with my life; and I found it. I went to college and got a degree in computer science. I also enrolled in a flight academy as a full time student. I was not a natural pilot; but I worked extra-hard to be the best. I excelled in my classes; and within one year I was a licensed flight instructor. I enjoyed teaching people the art and technicalities of making an airplane fly. I met my wife, Robyn, at the swimming pool of the condominium where I lived. She was a college student, interested in aviation and wanted to become a ham radio operator. It was love at first sight! We were soon living together and one year later we were married. Robyn took the opportunity of easy access to the planes to become a skydiver. A local newspaper wrote an article about this young couple. In it they said that I must had been a very happy man since I could push my wife from an airplane and not go to jail. A month after we got married, I was hired by the United Nations as a co-pilot and shipped out to Angola where I flew airplanes for humanitarian purposes. Later, already a captain, I went to Namibia , South Africa , Iraq and Kuwait . I tried many new foods in these places! Meanwhile, back in Brazil, my father had exchanged banking for his great passion in life: cooking. He opened FARINHA MAGICA, a high quality, European style bakery. And he invited me to come in as a partner. A couple of years later I accepted his offer. I was really afraid about coming back to Brazil. We heard many stories about the Brazilian economy and I almost did not have the courage to come. Robyn insisted; she wanted the Brazilian experience! We came in January, me, Robyn and our cat Mefa. Our first experience with São Paulo was the time it took us from the airport to our home; 5 hours! Apparently, as a welcome for our arrival, a truck decided to turn over and block the main access into the city. This was yesterday, today we have two factories; one in Rio de Janeiro and one in São Paulo. Our specialty is a line of mini-cakes which is an individual cake for one person. We produce these cakes in 17 different flavors; from Passion Fruit to Tricolor - a cake made of three different chocolates. We have a philosophy of high quality and great customer service. All creams, sauces and jams are made at our factory under my supervision. As I always say, I'm still the captain; it's just that now I am piloting a kitchen! Our passion for flying is still alive. Now we fly paragliders, a type of glider with flexible wings which fits inside a back-pack. We are always traveling, looking for new launch sites across Brazil . Our style of life has changed dramatically from the small city life we had in the United States to the intense never- ending action of São Paulo. For the future, we are working hard and with creativity to become a name in the Brazilian world of bakery. My dream is to become the fist choice for the consumer who wants high quality and first-world service. Meanwhile, we fly around with our paraglider and our dreams of success.